After all this time
by InkedMind16
Summary: Slow Burn. Draco/OC fic. Aine Burke is muggle born Ravenclaw who gets stuck with Draco on a charms assignment in sixth year. While there is nothing but hate at first, will it blossom into something more? Set during Half-Blood Prince then will skip forward to after the last film.
1. Chapter 1

Aine Burke sat in the library in what could only be described as a high-quality brooding session. Her brown eyebrows hung low over her green eyes as she tapped her foot in impatience. She had been shushed around three times in the last half hour but her partner for this week's charms assignment had decided to be over an hour late for their study session which put the Ravenclaw on edge. It was their sixth year and she was really hoping to graduate with the top grades possible.

When his name had been read out by Flitwick in class, she had groaned at the idea of being saddled with the dreary Slytherin who had replaced his mischievous smile over the summer break with a depressing scowl.

Eddie Carmichael, a fellow Ravenclaw who was intent on scoring a trip to Hogsmeade with her, had been watching her from behind a bookshelf. He was pretending to study but had sent small self-levitating paper planes over to her desk to try to nab a date.

Aine looked up and finally saw the determined stride of her partner.

"Malfoy, did your pure-blood family never gift you with a watch or maybe a remembrall?" Aine growled. She folded her arms. He shrugged and sank into the chair opposite her.

"Do you ever stop nagging? Do you really think I care about Flitwick's ridiculous homework project?" Draco sighed. He removed his robes, revealing a crinkled white shirt that had seen better years.

"You think I care about this project either? I certainly don't like being stuck with a gloomy slytherin pure-blood twat," Aine hissed and dropped a pile of books onto the table in front of them both. Draco jumped slightly but never lost the cool demeanour he always wore.

"Now that's no way to talk about your fellow houses," Draco leaned forward with a faint smirk. "I thought Ravenclaws were supposed to be team players."

"You can fuck right off Malfoy! I am only doing this project with you because I need to, so you better pull your weight, or I swear to Merlin, I will turn you into a ferret like Mad-Eye Moody did in fourth year," Aine grumbled. Her hands trailed down the open pages of the tome. Her eyes began scanning rapidly. It was after a few minutes that she realised Draco hadn't moved. She looked up from behind her glasses and grimaced.

"What are you doing? We're already an hour behind," Aine shook her head in frustration.

"Right Burke, how much will it take to get you to do this project for me? 10 Galleons? 30 Galleons? Even 50 Galleons?" Draco shrugged and had a lopsided charming smile on his face. It was the first time this semester Aine had seen Draco look anything but miserable. It was a fake smile however.

"I know your daddy usually buys your way into everything. So, I will excuse your lack of experience here in the real world where people must work to get what they want, but Malfoy I won't be bought. You're going to have to do the work with me," Aine's eyes met his with a stubbornness that she had become famous for. The Weasley twins had commented she was like the Gryffindor girl, Hermione Granger, when they were still in Hogwarts.

Draco's scowl quickly returned. The library was starting to empty, signalling it was nearly time to return to the relevant dorms but Aine had wasted enough time already that she wasn't let some stuck-up git stop them from at least getting started on the task.

"We need to pick at least one charm tonight to research then you can sulk all the way back to the dungeons," Aine quipped and returned to studying the book in front of her.

"Fine," Draco accepted and opened one of the books.

…..

An hour passed and the glow of the lamps cast the darkening room in a warm glow. Aine sighed as she considered the notes she had taken. Draco sat opposite her. He had propped himself up on the arm of the leather armchair with his flat of his palm pushing into his cheek. Aine suddenly felt a deep sense of dread that she couldn't place the origin of. Draco's face was paler than usual, and his eyes were framed by dark under eye bags that signalled an extreme lack of sleep.

"I think we should do the arresto momentum charm," Aine finally relented.

Draco looked up with tired eyes, "Fine with me." He snapped the book shut before quickly putting on his robes and standing up.

"Same time tomorrow?" Aine asked gingerly.

Draco froze. He had turned away from her but looked over his shoulder. "We'll see." Was all he said before he strode away leaving Aine to clean up.

"Stupid Slytherin wanker," Aine groaned before struggling with the piles of books that needed returned.

….

The dorm room was quiet when Aine returned. It was late, and the usually brightly lit room had a warm glow from the sparse lamps dotted around the tower. She was surprised when she noticed Beckie, one of her long-time friends in Ravenclaw, lying on the couch in front of the fireplace with a good book.

"I was wondering when you would return? I thought Malfoy might have killed you with his gloominess," Beckie grinned as she sat up. She ran a hand through her curly black hair.

"How would he manage that? How does someone kill you with their gloominess?" Aine chuckled and flopped down next to her.

"I don't know… Maybe he scowls so hard you just decide to leave your existence?" Beckie giggled. "In all seriousness, how was your study session?"

"He is certainly a spoiled Slytherin," Aine couldn't think of anything else to say. It had been productive but that was because of her. He had been no help. He had just sat there in a depressing gloom.

"When Flitwick said you would be partners, I thought he might suddenly shout 'just joking!' immediately after because it seems like the worst idea to pair Malfoy with anyone other than Blaise," Beckie nodded.

"Who did you get again?" Aine asked.

"A cute Hufflepuff girl, Elizabeth," Beckie's smile made Aine think that someone had just used a cheering charm on her.

"Oh well we all can't be partnered with people who are friendly and attractive," Aine sighed and offered Beckie a hand to stand up. The couch seemed to want to swallow them both.

"I can't help that the only person interested in you is Eddie," Beckie shrugged and earned a playful slap on the shoulder from Aine.

"Excuse me, Eddie is not the only boy to like me," Aine paused in thought. "He's just the first one to pursue me so…. Persistently." They both giggled.

"Oh well, maybe Malfoy will suddenly become a new person tomorrow and then you can go out with him," Beckie nudged her as they walked to the dorms.

"Oh don't make me sick," Aine exclaimed before they both giggled again.


	2. Chapter 2

Aine grasped the books to her torso desperately as she searched for a seat in the crowded library. She stopped dead in her tracks when she found Draco in a secluded arch with a seat saved for her. Maybe Beckie had replaced him with a very thoughtful clone. Her mouth fell open when she noticed Draco had already collected some of the books they needed, and he had taken notes.

Draco looked up from the book he was reading with his usual scowl. "What?"

"Nothing," Aine said gingerly. "Nothing about this is strange, or unexpected." Once she had placed the books on the table, she sat down cautiously and slipped off her bag. Draco watched her then shrugged before turning his focus back to the book.

"The Arresto Momentum charm was a good pick but I think we should also look at the silencing charm and the substantive charm," Draco said and Aine tried not to let her mouth fall open again. She sat there stunned when he produced notes on the charms he had just mentioned.

"I think Flitwick would be impressed we had covered some of the trickier spells from last year's OWLs," Draco stated nonchalantly. Aine just nodded.

"What do you think?" Draco looked up at her.

"Y… yes! I agree," was all Aine could muster.

"Don't look so shocked," Draco smirked. "As a gloomy Slytherin pure-blood twat, I can actually do work by myself. I just don't enjoy working with others, especially not mud-bloods like yourself."

All at once, the illusion was shattered. The hardworking considerate Draco had been replaced by the arrogant and cocky Draco that Aine knew so well from last year. Aine scowled but took out her notes and opened another book.

"Nice to see not everything has changed," Aine mumbled.

"What?" Draco smirked without looking up from his notes.

"I was just saying it's nice to see not everything has changed over night for a moment there I thought you had become a considerate, hardworking and thoughtful person but maybe I tripped on the way here and hallucinated it from a brain injury," Aine said sharply and proceeded to start taking some notes.

"Oh wow, you Ravenclaws are so witty," Draco's words dripped with sarcasm but when Aine glanced up she could see the faint trace of a smile on his lips. She smirked and got back to work.

….

It had been nearly two hours when they both let out an exhausted sigh.

"Maybe we should leave it for today?" Aine asked politely as they both sat up. She stretched and arched her back in the hopes of undoing the tense knots that had formed from being hunched over the table. It was then she noticed not one but two paper planes sitting impossibly perfect on the top of the pile of books between Draco and herself. She swore under her breath and reached for them when Draco, noticing the planes at the exact same time, snatched them from her grasp.

"What is this, Burke?" Draco teased. "Do you have an admirer?"

"C'mon give them here Malfoy," Aine whined as she desperately tried to grab them from his clutches.

Draco chuckled as he opened one and his eyes flicked over the inscription, "Aine would you do me the honour of going to Hogsmeade this weekend?" He then opened the next week and laughed. "To me you are sweeter than all the treats in Honeydukes." He pretended to heave before he threw them back over at Aine. "You Ravenclaws are pathetic."

"And you're not? Pansy Parkinson trails after you like a dog on leash," Aine rolled her eyes as she smoothed out the notes. "I know your parents have messed you up but at least, I know leading someone on is wrong."

She looked up to see Draco's face twisted in anger.

"Don't you dare talk about my family like that, you filthy mud-blood!" Draco sneered. "And you have no idea what you're talking about!" Draco slammed his fist down on the table, causing the books and papers to fall and move slightly.

They sat in silence while both of them stewed in their own anger. Aine finally looked at Draco and felt a pang of guilt. He was gloomy again. She could feel a turmoil seep across the table from him. She swallowed her pride and coughed to get his attention.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that," Aine said quietly. "You're right I don't know anything about your life. I shouldn't make assumptions."

Draco sighed and just nodded. "Let's just finish this project, shall we?"

"Yes, sure,"Aine agreed. "But I need to go, we can meet next week? The day before the class? We've done enough work tonight, we're both tired."

Draco nodded before gathering his things quickly and leaving. Aine sat in his wake and felt the turmoil leave her. She breathed a sigh of relief.

The tiredness overwhelmed her, and she closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. When she opened her eyes, sitting across from her was Eddie Carmichael. His eyes were looking at her questioningly and his mouth was stuck in a lopsided friendly smile.

"Your project for charms going well?" Eddie asked.

"It's going as well as expected with Malfoy as my partner," Aine sighed.

"Haha, oh well, it will be over soon," Eddie mumbled nervously. "Have you given any thought to my notes?"

Aine considered him for a moment and felt something in her give in. "I will happily go to Honeydukes with you." Aine smiled and chuckled as Eddie's face lit up.

"Great, I'll meet you in the common room at 11?" Eddie asked. He jumped up and grinned.

"Yes sure," Aine couldn't help but grin in response.

"Great, amazing!" Eddie grinned and Aine laughed. "I'll see you then!" He waved goodbye. Aine rubbed her hands over her face as she fell back into the chair. She laughed to herself as she thought about what the next week would bring.


	3. Chapter 3

Aine sat rigidly in the three broom sticks as Eddie tried to sneak closer on the corner bench they were both sitting on. She had felt uncomfortable since the moment Eddie had tried to take her hand on the walk over to the three broom sticks. Out the corner of her eye, she had spotted the famous trio including one of her study partners, Hermione Granger, and Eddie made a joke about Hermione trying to turn him in for a Baruffio's Brain Elixir potion he had been selling to younger students. Aine knew from the exchange that the likelihood of a future with Eddie Carmichael – friendship or otherwise – was incredibly unlikely.

Eddie sensed her discomfort and got up to get some more butterbeers.

Aine looked around and caught the eye of Hermione who looked amused at her situation. Aine shrugged and looked away. She watched Eddie's back at the bar as he hassled the staff. She sighed and grabbed her bag. This was a dead end and maybe if she just left he would get the hint.

She glanced nervously before scurrying towards the door.

The winter air met her, and she took a deep breath in. She decided it was the best time to engage a habit certainly not allowed within the Hogwarts walls and must certainly not tolerated by her peers. She walked out of Hogsmeade towards the Shrieking Shack and sat on a large rock surrounded by trees.

It was quiet and peaceful. She dug through her satchel and produced a packet of cigarettes. She also found a lighter. She put the cigarette between her lip and flicked the lighter a couple of times before groaning in frustration. Stuffing the lighter back into her bag, she found her wand and watched a small flame appear at the tip as she held to the cigarette.

She put her wand away and inhaled the smoke.

"Burke, I didn't expect such a habit from a good two shoes like you," The voice came from behind her and Aine turned to see Draco standing behind her. He was appropriately dressed for the weather with a hat and scarf. He still looked his dapper self in a dark pair of trousers and leather shoes.

"I'm a muggle-born after all Malfoy so why wouldn't I?" Aine scowled as she exhaled a small plume of smoke.

"Can I have one?" Draco asked out of curiosity. He sat down next to her and his eyes seemed darker than usual.

"Would daddy be okay if you have one?" Aine teased but handed him anyways. He put it between his lips and she produced her wand to light it for him. It wouldn't burn even with the flame.

"You've got to inhale as I light it," Aine said. He nodded and inhaled on the second attempt. It lit easily. She smiled. "Hold the breath in, then take another breath without exhaling." He watched her with nervous eyes. He did as ordered. "Breathe out," Aine commanded. Draco finally coughed out an exhale and Aine couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, that is awful," Draco coughed and spluttered.

"Yes, it is," Aine smiled and Draco handed his cigarette back to her. She flicked it away and with her wand, incinerated it without a word. She continued to smoke her own however.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Aine asked.

"Nothing," Draco mumbled and shoved his hands into his coat pockets. "How did your date go with Carmichael?"

"It went fine," Aine lied just as Draco had done. She took another inhale and looked off towards the Shrieking Shack.

"Good," Draco mumbled before he had a thought. "Will you be seeing him again?"

"I don't think so," Aine exhaled. She laughed as Draco waved the smoke out of his face.

"Good," Draco said, and it earned a second look from Aine.

"Why is that good?" Aine asked. "You getting soft there Malfoy? How would Pansy feel to see you showing interest in a Ravenclaw?" She nudged him and he chuckled.

"I don't think Pansy would be all that bothered," Draco replied. "I could tell Carmichael wasn't your type. Plus I watched his Mummy escort him to the train this year."

Aine had seen that as well but didn't think it was that unusual. She was seemingly wrong when Draco, whose parents had him under their thumb, thought it was strange.

"You forget that you barely know me," Aine stated before she flicked her own cigarette away and incinerated it.

"C'mon Burke, you don't need to be a Legilimens to know you are not a team player," Draco teased.

"When you've always depended on yourself, you become used to it," Aine replied.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. Aine took the time to study Draco. He seemed more tense than usual.

"What did you get up to on your trip to Hogsmeade so far?" Aine asked.

"I was with Blaise until he decided to abandon me to flirt with a girl in the year below us," Draco replied. "Then I walked out to here to… think."

"What does Draco Malfoy need to think about? Oh, my mansion is just a bit too big and my parents are slightly racist," As soon as the words left Aine's lips, she regretted them.

Draco stood abruptly and turned to face her.

"You forget that you barely know me," Draco hissed. "I know you think I'm some sort of evil rich arsehole. I do have bigger problems than being well off. I have a reputation to live up to, something a muggle-born wouldn't understand. I have issues too."

"Malfoy, I never said you don't have issues," Aine stood to growl back. "Malfoy, you come from a position of privilege. Yeah, you're right. I'm a mud-blood bitch who's been given too much freedom in the eyes of your family and the bloody death eaters. I'm sorry that it's so difficult being a pure-blood prince – at least your whole existence isn't constantly regarded by some in society as the same as vermin."

Draco looked so torn. His eyes were red as if he was going to cry. Aine stopped and took a breath. Draco sighed and rubbed his breathing picked up and he started to pace.

"Aine…" He looked like he was about to break. He was panicking.A wave of anxiety swept over Aine. It radiated off him. Aine needed to practice honing her legilimens ability because she was picking up too much.

Aine surged forward and took his face between her hands.

"Calm down Draco," Aine whispered softly. "Count with me, 1" He repeated it after her. "2" Another pause.

His eyes focused back on her and she felt a tingling in her stomach. "3".

She was about to count further when Draco pulled her closer and pressed his lips against hers.

Aine stood frozen before Draco pulled away hastily and looked at her with shocked wide eyes. He seemed shocked at his own actions.

"I'm so sorry," Draco whispered before he fled.


End file.
